Kashmiri apple supply is falling short of Diwali demand in terminal markets across India after an extensive scab outbreak damaged a substantial portion of this year’s crop, growers and dealers said. The disease has reduced the share of higher-grade fruit arriving at mandis, even as demand for large apples and gift packs remains strong ahead of the festival.
Zahoor Ahad Tantray, general secretary of the Kashmir Fruit Growers and Dealers Association, said demand for Grade A apples was particularly strong during the Diwali period. However, he said supplies remained inadequate because primary and secondary scab had spread extensively across the crop and affected its quality.
According to Tantray, between 50% and 60% of the apples reaching the markets are now Grade B and Grade C fruit. These grades have significantly lower demand and returns than Grade A apples, creating pressure for growers, traders and buyers in the distribution chain.
The quality gap is especially difficult for growers because production costs remain broadly the same regardless of the grade produced. Tantray said growers incur similar costs for Grade A, B and C apples, but only the highest grade earns strong market returns. The deterioration in quality has therefore raised concerns about growers’ earnings despite steady festive demand.
The supply situation is unfolding across fruit mandis that serve markets outside Kashmir. Mohammad Sohail Tanveer, a dealer from Bihar, said prices were currently reasonable and that quality produce was still arriving. A wooden crate was selling for around Rs 1,300, while a cardboard carton was priced at up to Rs 600, he said.
Tanveer added that Diwali demand had supported prices and that approximately 400 to 500 truckloads were leaving the market every day. The movement highlights the scale of the wholesale network connecting Kashmir’s orchards with consumption centres across the country during the festival season.
The reported shortage is therefore not a complete disruption of supply. Instead, it is a shift in the composition of the crop reaching markets, with a larger proportion of lower-grade apples moving through the distribution system. For urban buyers, that means availability of premium fruit may remain tighter than overall apple availability, while growers face weaker returns on the affected grades.
Growers and dealers have raised concerns over the outbreak and its effect on the season’s trade. The immediate market picture remains mixed: demand for premium apples is strong, prices for available quality produce are holding up, and large volumes continue to leave the mandi, but the larger share of lower-grade fruit is weakening returns across the supply chain.
